Great Britain international speedway rider Lee Richardson has died following a crash in Poland, aged 33.
The Lakeside Hammers captain, who has represented a number of English clubs, hit the safety fence while riding for his Polish side Rzeszow in Wroclaw.
He suffered a heavy blow to the chest and later died in hospital.
Hammers co-promoter Jon Cook said: "I am numb and just can't take this in. Lee's loss to his family is beyond imagination."
Hastings-born Richardson, a regular on the Grand Prix circuit between 2002 and 2006, was a former World Under-21 champion and is Britain's all-time World Cup points scorer, collecting 240 points across 10 championships.
His final appearance in the Elite League - Britain's top speedway division - was on Friday, when he contributed an impressive 10-point haul to a 59-37 win over his former club Peterborough.